Railfan and Railroad Magazine

Railfan & Railroad Magazine is the ultimate source for all things related to the railfan hobby and industry. Bringing you the latest news and insights from the tracks since 1974!

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Canadian National 2-8-0 Restoration Forges Ahead

2 days ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

Canadian National 2-8-0 2141, the primary power for British Columbia’s Kamloops Heritage Railway, is expected to be fired up in the coming weeks for the first time since 2019. Earlier this week, the locomotive was operated with compressed air to test the boiler and other systems. Kamloops Heritage ran excursions from 2002 until 2019. Operations were suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic, and an increase in freight traffic on CN and Canadian Pacific in Kamloops prevented excursions from resuming.
Restored Rio Grande Sign Displayed at Heber Valley

3 days ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

A historic neon sign that once stood atop the Denver & Rio Grande Western depot in Salt Lake City has been restored and is now on display at Utah’s Heber Valley Railroad. The sign was built in the 1950s and was part of the station until it was replaced by a newer version a few years ago. The original was then preserved and placed inside the Heber Valley’s shop in Heber City.
Fed Budget Calls for NEC Cuts, Preservation of Long-Distance Network

4 days ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

RailNews The National Network, which includes state-supported trains and long-distance routes, is set to receive $1.58 billion, an increase from the $1.29 billion it received during Fiscal Year 2025 The Trump Administration’s 2026 budget proposes a 25 percent reduction in the Northeast Corridor’s funding, while slightly increasing the allocation for Amtrak’s long-distance network. The proposed budget would allocate $850 million to the Northeast Corridor, marking a 25 percent decrease from the...
Metra, CTA Brace for ‘Doomsday’ Cuts

5 days ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

Illinois lawmakers failed to pass legislation on May 31 that would prevent “doomsday” cuts to public transit in and around Chicago. The failure means that Metra, Chicago Transit Authority and Pace bus service will all have to make major cuts in the months ahead. The Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the three agencies, is facing a $770 million deficit largely due to the end of federal funding related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
STB Pumps the Brakes on Watco's Takeover of Great Lakes Central

6 days ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board is seeking additional information about Watco’s proposed takeover of the Great Lakes Central Railroad. In March, Watco announced that it was acquiring Michigan’s Great Lakes Central and expressed hope for a swift approval from the federal regulator. However, the STB is now advising Watco to slow down, asserting that the transaction requires a more thorough review.
Supreme Court Gives Uinta Basin Railway High Green

1 week ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

On May 29, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s decision that threatened to halt the construction of the proposed Uinta Basin Railway through eastern Utah. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board approved the construction of the Uinta Basin back in 2021. The proposed railroad would connect Utah’s oil-rich Uinta Basin with the national rail network at Kyune, Utah, on Union Pacific’s Provo Subdivision (the former Denver & Rio Grande Western over Soldier Summit).
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Introduces New Excursion

1 week ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, a 3-foot gauge railroad located in Colorado and New Mexico that operates over one of the most spectacular sections of the former Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge, is introducing a shorter and more affordable excursion option this spring. The new train will run from Chama, N.M., to the summit of Cumbres Pass at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, giving visitors a brief taste of the dramatic mountain railroad.
IRM Decapod to Undergo Early Rebuild

1 week ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

The Illinois Railway Museum announced recently that St. Louis–San Francisco Railway 2-10-0 1630, one of only two operating Decapods in the U.S., will be taken out of service early for a federally mandated overhaul. IRM had hoped to run the locomotive this year, but while preparing it for the season, an unforeseen mechanical issue was discovered. Instead of repairing that issue now, the museum decided to initiate its 15-year overhaul earlier than scheduled, which was supposed to begin next year.
UP ‘Big Boy’ to Visit Denver in July

1 week ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

Union Pacific announced on Tuesday that 4-8-8-4 “Big Boy” 4014 will travel from Cheyenne, Wyo., to Denver and back in July. This brief trip will be the locomotive’s only public outing this year, but the railroad promised it would “return to the rails in a big way in 2026 to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.”The locomotive will be joined by UP 1616, the recently painted SD70 that pays tribute to President Abraham Lincoln.
WW&F Launches Campaign to Finish New Coach

1 week ago | railfan.com | Justin Franz

Maine’s Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum seeks to raise $120,000 to complete the construction of a brand new 2-foot gauge passenger car modeled after one built for the original railroad in 1894. Construction of coach 9 began in 2017 with a $100,000 donation from one of the WW&F’s benefactors. Since that time, WW&F volunteers have completed the superstructure of the car and finished interior details, including the walls, trim, roof, ceilings, and windows.